Foveavirus, a new plant virus genus

Abstract

Foveavirus is a novel genus of plant viruses with helically constructed filamentous particles ca. 800 nm long, typified by apple stem pitting virus (ASPV). Virions do not contain lipids or carbohydrates, have a positive sense, single-stranded, polyadenylated RNA genome 8.4 to 9.3 kb in size, and a single type of coat protein with a size of 28 to 44 kDa. The genome of definitive viral species is made up of five ORFs encoding respectively, the replication-related proteins (ORF 1), the putative movement proteins (ORF 2 to 4, constituting the triple block gene), and the coat protein (ORF 5). Virions accumulate in the cytoplasm, where replication is likely to occur with a strategy comparable to that of potexviruses, based on direct expression of the 5'-proximal ORF, and expression of downstream ORFs through subgenomic RNAs. No vector is known. Virus transmission is by grafting, and dispersal is through infected propagating material. The genome structure and organization (i.e. number and order of genes) closely resembles that of the genera Potexvirus, Carlavirus and Allexvirus, but ORF 1 and the coat protein cistron (ASPV only) are significantly larger.